Arrogant PS Vita prices may land Sony in trouble

Sony’s recently launched PS Vita handheld has sent shockwaves throughout the industry, both good and bad. On the plus side, the graphics capable on the little handheld are nothing short of mindblowing, but the one troubling factor for many gamers is the premium price point that fans will have to pay to take one home.

As you’re already well aware, the PS Vita is available to buy now in Japan and Hong Kong as of last month, with consumers in the US and Europe patiently waiting for February 22 to come around as that is the magical date for Sony’s western launch.

However, the $250 or £230 price point is a major stumbling block for many and that is the price of the standalone console and not including the memory card or game titles that are two mandatory add-ons that you’ll need to purchase as well at launch. Many Vita titles require a memory card to run and there’s no other way around this. You’ll have to either pay $19.99 or £17.99 to pick up a 4GB card, while Vita titles have been given a maximum price of either £44.99 or $49.99 although some will be variably priced and cheaper to pick up.

The concerning price aspect of the Vita has been addressed in a recent article published by Forbes, as they have gone on record to actually say that Sony is in ‘big trouble’ over this and may suffer from a failed US product launch. They have also described Sony’s PS Vita game prices as both ‘arrogant’ and ‘delusional’, adding that the upcoming western launch of the PS Vita may spell the end of the handheld gaming market for good.

Strong words there for sure, words which we’re not sure we agree with. Sony’s prices have always been famously high, evident in the whopping $600 price tag that first came attached with the PS3 way back in 2006. The PS Vita may be entering with the same price as a PlayStation 3 console, but we have a feeling that many fans won’t care and will be queuing up on February 21 to get theirs at midnight.

Are you concerned about the high pricing for the PS Vita and agree with the points raised in the article over at Forbes, or do you think the pricing is reasonable for the brand spanking new hardware that you’ll get?

UPDATE: There now appears to be evidence creeping out of Japan that Sony has started to shift the PS Vita with a 20% discount from the original price. This could be exclusive to this retailer, or it could mean that Sony are starting to make a move on far from impressive launch sales. Interesting.